The Administrative Court in Linköping has reduced the fine imposed on an operator for violating bonus rules issued by Spelinspektionen. The initial fine of SEK19m has been reduced to SEK14m.
The court has also rejected an appeal by Skill On Net, the operator of PlayOjo, against the SEK14m fine it was given for illicit bonuses and illicit lotteries.
The Administrative Court agreed with Spelinspektionen’s interpretation of current provisions in the Gaming Act but had a different assessment regarding the definition of bonuses and the requirement for a direct connection to the game.
NGG Nordic’s turnover was estimated differently by the Administrative Court than the regulator.
Spelinspektionen stated that “the court considers that the Swedish Gaming Inspectorate had reason to decide on a warning and a penalty fee” in its overall assessment of the penalty fee size.
Last June, Spelinspektionen found that NGG Nordic and Skill On Net had violated regulations by offering players multiple bonuses. Operators are only allowed to offer one bonus per player upon sign-up as per regulations in force from January 2019.
An inspection of NGG Nordic’s NordicBet site revealed various forms of bonus offers, including weekly surprises, cash prize draws, free spins, and free games. It was also discovered that NGG Nordic had been organizing lottery games, which were not covered by its igaming and online wagering license.
In addition to the fines, both NGG Nordic and Skill On Net were issued a warning by Spelinspektionen.
United Lottery Solutions, a subsidiary of Lottoland, had its appeal against a warning and fine issued by Spelinspektionen dismissed by the Linköping court.
